NHS Long Term Plan

The NHS is preparing for the next 10 years with the publication of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The NHS doesn’t stand still. It needs to meet the changing needs of the people it cares for while also making the best use of innovative technology and new ways of working. In order to continue to provide the best possible care, the NHS has developed its Long Term Plan.

The Plan has been put together with input from frontline health and care staff, patient groups and other experts and sets out how the NHS will plan for the next 10 years.

The aim of the plan is to make the NHS fit for the future. Measures within the plan will help save thousands of lives by detecting illnesses earlier or by preventing them from developing in the first place.

Patients will benefit from:

Genetic testing for a quarter of people with dangerously high inherited cholesterol, reaching around 30,000 people;

Mental health help for 345,000 more children and young people through the expansion of community based services, including in schools;

Cutting edge scans and technology, including the potential use of artificial intelligence, to help provide the best stroke care with over 100,000 more people each year accessing new, better services;

Earlier detection and better treatment of respiratory conditions to prevent 80,000 hospital admissions and a pilot of smart inhalers so patients can easily monitor their condition;

Every hospital with a major A&E department having ‘same day emergency care’ in place so that patients can be treated and discharged with the right package of support, without needing an overnight stay.

The commitment to tackle major physical conditions comes alongside the biggest ever investment in mental health services, rising to at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24. An estimated 2 million more people who suffer anxiety, depression or other problems will receive help over the next decade include new dads and mums, and people will have 24 hour access to crisis care via NHS 111.